An ornamental object can be converted into a piece of jewelry by adding thereto an attachment fixture which facilitates display of the ornament. Different types of jewelry have different types of attachment fixtures. Jewelry such as rings and necklaces must be equipped with fixtures which facilitate attachment of an ornament to particular parts of the human body, while lapel pins and belt buckles have fixtures designed to facilitate attachment of the ornament to particular pieces of clothing.
Using prior art devices, the unique nature of each type of attachment fixture limits the versatility of the jewelry. In addition, prior art attachment fixtures often alter, mar, and to some degree damage, the piece of jewelry to which those fixtures are affixed. Furthermore, the additional bulk also prevented proper display of the jewelry by causing it to stand away from the body or tilt to one side.
In my copending application and parent patent I describe a clasp that securely and releaseably holds an ornamental object such that the securely/releaseably fixtured ornamental object can we worn as a piece of jewelry, and subsequently easily removed from that clasp.